Advertising Association vs ATSC

UK Junk Food Ad Ban Tweak Could Cost £1 Billion

The UK advertising industry is assessing the potential financial impact of proposed government changes to the rules banning advertisements for less healthy food and drink products (LHFs). Current regulations, effective January 2026, restrict TV ads before the 9pm watershed and block online ads. The government is considering updating the nutrient profiling model (NPM) from the 2004 version to a stricter 2018 version, which would expand the range of products covered by the ban. Research by Oxford Economics, commissioned by the Advertising Association, estimates that applying the 2018 NPM in 2025 would have affected an additional £300-£400 million in ad spend, potentially bringing the total impacted expenditure to £1 billion. The industry, including broadcasters like ITV (which lost £20M in H1 revenue) and trade groups, warns of significant investment loss and calls for scrutiny before extending restrictions, fearing disruption to adapted campaigns and harm to the creative industries.

• Current UK rules ban TV ads for less healthy food and drink before 9pm and block online ads.
• Government plans to update the nutrient profiling model from 2004 to a stricter 2018 version.
• Oxford Economics estimates an additional £300-400 million of ad spend would be affected by the tweak.

UK TV Ad Market Set for Growth After Flat Q1

The Advertising Association and WARC reported that UK ad spend rose 9.3% year‑on‑year to £11.7 billion in Q1 2026, prompting upward revisions to 2026 and 2027 forecasts. While digital channels such as retail media, social media and search saw double‑digit or strong growth, linear TV remained broadly flat despite a 15.5% rise in addressable TV, with overall TV up only 0.8% in Q1. The forecast expects total UK ad investment to reach £50.5 billion in 2026 (+8.2%) and £53.5 billion in 2027 (+5.9%), with TV predicted to grow 3.7% in 2026 and 3.0% in 2027, partly anticipating uplift from the FIFA World Cup. Cinema and some published/other display sectors declined in Q1 but cinema is expected to recover later in the year.

• UK ad spend rose 9.3% year‑on‑year to £11.7 billion in Q1 2026, per the Advertising Association and WARC Expenditure Report.
• Addressable TV ad spend increased 15.5% in Q1 2026, with total TV up 0.8% in the quarter.
• Search attracted £4.6 billion in ad investment during Q1 2026 and remained the largest market share.

ATSC 3.0 To Be Honored With Technology And Engineering Emmy Award As “Significant Advancement In Television Broadcasting”

ATSC, The Broadcast Standards Association®, is being honored with a 2026 Technology & Engineering Emmy® Award by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) for ATSC’s pioneering development of NextGen TV broadcasting standards that establish the industry’s first fully IP-based broadcast standard to reach commercial scale.

ATSC 3.0 To Be Honored With Technology And Engineering Emmy Award As 'Significant Advancement In Television Broadcasting'

ATSC is being honored with a 2026 Technology & Engineering Emmy Award by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) for ATSC's pioneering development of NextGen TV broadcasting standards that establish the industry's first fully IP-based broadcast standard to reach commercial scale.

California's SB 576 Bans Loud Streaming Ads

California Senate Bill 576, effective 2026-07-02, outlaws overly loud streaming advertisements and forces advertising agencies and streaming networks to change production, delivery, and contractual practices. The law requires adherence to ATSC A/85 loudness measurement standards rather than peak-spike detection, prompting engineering, creative, and ad-ops adjustments. Streaming platforms have implemented automated filters that compress noncompliant assets (which can degrade voiceovers and sound design), and FAST platforms using server-side ad insertion (SSAI) face additional metadata-stripping complications. Networks are updating master service agreements to pass regulatory fines and campaign disruption costs to agencies that supply noncompliant files.

• California Senate Bill 576 (SB 576) banning loud streaming ads takes effect on 2026-07-02.
• The regulation requires enforcement based on ATSC A/85 loudness standards rather than isolated peak spikes.
• Streaming networks have deployed automated filters that compress overly loud ad assets, sometimes degrading audio quality.